Bitcoin is unequivocally worse for this, as you say, you face two currency conversions, one from buyer currency to BTC and one from BTC to seller currency. Each time you pay 1-2% (or more depending on jurisdiction) and it takes days, which given its huge volatility exposes both sides to massive FOREX risk on top of that. PLUS a BTC transaction fee (currently $0.26). Not to mention the non-trivial chance your exchange will shut down or run away with your money during the process. [Hello, Quadriga]

Most Bitcoin exchanges have fees that are a fraction of a percent. Not 1-2%. Paypal has international fees approaching 5%(!)

It doesn't take days to buy some BTC. Buying or selling is instantaneous (once you have an account at an exchange, which is a one-time thing to setup, certainly not a step to go through for every transaction as you seem to imply!)

Volatility has been declining over the last few years. Besides, volatility has an overall net-zero effect on your transactions: half the time you make a bit of extra money, half the time you lose a bit of money, so it averages to zero gains/losses.

Finally, use a trustworthy exchange. These are really not hard to find: Coinbase, Gemini, etc.